


Arcane Relief

by TheatricArcana



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Chronic Pain, M/M, Massage, but not intentionally erotic (at first), erotic massages, is that a tag???, nonstandard orgasms, not explicitly stated but Essek is trans in all of my fanfics, trans!Essek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:28:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26161144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheatricArcana/pseuds/TheatricArcana
Summary: Caleb gives Essek a massage using a magical muscle relaxant salve that him and Essek worked together to create. The salve works as intended, but Essek has an unexpected reaction to the massage.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 6
Kudos: 216





	Arcane Relief

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back on my Shadowgast bullshit AGAIN. Hope y'all are enjoying this because Caleb and Essek seem to be all I'm capable of writing.
> 
> In case anyone is wondering, I can confirm from experience that it's entirely possible to reach orgasm from a back massage. 
> 
> As always, constructive criticism is welcome but like. Gently. I'm sensitive LMAO

The weeks of Arcane research that Caleb had so generously helped Essek with had finally proved to be worth it. Dozens of prototypes had been trialed, tweaked ever so slightly, and then tried again. Essek had been picky after so many useless "treatments" from doctors in the past that at best didn't do anything, and at worst exaggerated the pain and discomfort. Caleb never complained when Essek tossed another batch of their hard work that he hadn't deemed good enough, though. He actually encouraged Essek to do so, insisting that they would eventually find the perfect solution.

Essek had tried all sorts of salves, balms, teas, potions, and herbs to alleviate his pain, but none of them had worked. Essek was confident that something more arcane in nature would succeed where other treatments had failed, though. Most problems could be solved by a little magic and hard work, or at least Essek liked to think so.

It was a clever blend of ingredients that Essek would have never thought of on his own; Caleb, as anticipated, brought valuable input when he assisted Essek's research. It wasn't just Caleb either, to be fair. Essek had been hesitant to take suggestions from the rest of the Mighty Nein at first. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but they just weren't as well versed in the same magic that he and Caleb were.

But Jester and Caduceus's knowledge of humanoid creatures as clerics was in fact useful and accurate multiple times, as there was a number of components that they had each suggested in passing that had been crucial to a perfect final product. And not to mention Veth and her spectacular input as an alchemist that aided in the process as well.

Essek eyed the large bottle of magical salve excitedly. When he looked to Caleb, Caleb also had the same look in his eye. Both of their faces split into a wide grin as they made eye contact, each of them equally excited over their creation despite the fact that it was really only useful for Essek. There was nothing that beat the rush of making a magical breakthrough when you were a wizard. 

An arcane muscle relaxer- the first bottle of presumably many if it worked as intended.

And there was no time like the present to find out if it did.

Essek laid face down on the bed, already stripped of his clothing and any jewelry that may get in the way. Caleb kneeled beside him, the bottle of arcane relaxant in hand. Technically, Essek could probably apply it himself, but if he wanted the full effect of the relaxant, it had to be massaged into the muscles that were causing pain. Lucky for Essek, he had a wonderful partner willing to get the hard-to-reach places.

Caleb kissed Essek gently between the shoulder blades before pouring some of the salve onto Essek's back.

Immediately Essek could feel a tingling warmth spread wherever the salve touched. It was only a sensation on the top layer of his skin at the moment, the muscles underneath having not properly absorbed the salve yet, but it was still a pleasant sensation.

Then Caleb's hands were on his back, spreading the slightly oily salve across Essek's skin and sore, tense muscles. The warm, tingling sensation spread across his entire back as Caleb started to carefully massage the salve into Essek's skin.

At first, the warmth and tingling remained at the surface level, and Essek feared that their hard work hadn't actually paid off after all- That they got the formula wrong and the salve was basically just a glorified massage oil.

But  _ then  _ it started to sink into his muscles.

The warm sensation deepened, soaking into muscles that had years of tension and pain built up inside them, and then releasing all of said pain and tension. The relief was immediate. Essek didn't even realize how much discomfort he had grown accustomed to living with until it was finally gone, being worked away by dedicated research and Caleb's wonderful hands.

Essek  _ moaned.  _ He couldn't help it. It felt so incredibly amazing, and it was only getting better the longer Caleb massaged him.

Caleb's hands moved towards Essek's lower back, thumbs pressing in and making Essek's stiff muscles melt under Caleb's skilled touches. Essek barely held back even more noises which were much too obscene for the situation at hand. It was  _ pleasurable  _ in a way Essek hadn't expected. Essek couldn't remember the last time he felt something like this.

Essek didn't know when exactly the feeling changed, but he recognized, after his breath started hitching and he had to bury his face into the pillow to stay quiet, that the feeling of Caleb's hands massaging him had stopped relieving the tension, but the tingling feeling had started building and mounting inside of him. The pleasurable heat blossomed and spread from where Caleb's hands massaged him, seemingly affecting his entire body. 

Essek helplessly grabbed fistfuls of the sheets below him, holding on so tight he could see his knuckles get pale. His thighs were shaking and- oh.

_ Oh _ .

He was about to  _ come. _

_ What? _

Essek was pretty sure that wasn't supposed to happen during a massage. Caleb hadn't even touched him, not in the standard way that would usually bring him to orgasm, at least. How was this happening?

"Caleb- w-wait-" Essek  _ whimpered  _ when he spoke, embarrassingly enough, but Caleb seemed unphased.

Caleb also didn't  _ stop _ . Instead, he dug his thumbs in a little harder, and Essek cried out in response before he could stop himself.

"Relax, I've got you." Caleb reassured Essek, with a tender kiss between his shoulders.

Essek didn't have time to process the fact that Caleb seemed to already know what was happening. He was already on the edge of climax, and Caleb's hands hit  _ just  _ the right area, sending Essek stumbling over the edge of a blinding orgasm.

Caleb appeared confident, like he understood exactly what was going on, which made one of them. Essek wanted to question it, ask what Caleb was doing and  _ how,  _ but his orgasm rendered him speechless. Essek couldn't remember the last time he had such an intense, full-body experience while coming. Gasping cries and whimpered moans escaped him, his entire body overtaken with waves of pleasurable aftershocks. It was confusing and amazing all at the same time, and it left him breathless on the bed below Caleb.

"What…?" Was all Essek finally managed to croak out, after several minutes of trying to catch his breath. Caleb, to his credit, seemed to understand the question regardless.

"I did some research beforehand so I could have a better idea of how to properly give a massage." Caleb admitted, almost sheepishly. "I- ah- I read that this was a possibility, but I didn't truly expect you to…"

Caleb didn't need to finish the sentence.

Despite everything, Essek felt something like admiration and affection for Caleb well up inside his chest. Caleb did  _ research  _ on how to give a massage, just to give Essek a better experience. How sweet of him.

"Did the salve work?" Caleb asked after a moment, and Essek let out a little laugh. After coming so hard, he had honestly forgotten that this entire thing was simply meant to be a trial run of the salve.

Now that Essek actually took the time to focus on how his body felt, though, he realized that the pain and tension was entirely gone. If he wasn't already so out of breath, he'd probably be able to run a mile in record time. A grin spread across Essek's face. "I have  _ never  _ felt better in my entire life."

"I take it we'll be doing this again sometime?"

" _ Sometime? _ Why not now?" Essek suggested, more joking than anything, but Caleb's hands were on Essek again as soon as the request was out of his mouth.

  
"As you wish,  _ Herr  _ Thelyss."


End file.
